January 2019 Monthly Update

This Update includes information on the following items:

●      2019-2021 Board of Director Nominations
●      Announcement: CDBC Fee Adjustment for 2019-2020 Renewal
●      Congratulations to New Full Registrants!
●      Are you in the 2019 Continuing Competence Program (CCP) Group?
●      Reminder: Using Approved Courses for Proof of Competence to Practice Restricted Activities
●      CDBC Staff Update
●      Website Updates
●      You Asked About… Consent to Nutrition Care
●      Questions? Comments?

2019-2021 Board of Director Nominations
The call for nominations to the Board of Directors for the 2019-2021 term closed on December 15, 2018. Nominations were open for the following electoral regions:
• Fraser (1)
• Interior/North (1)
• Vancouver Coastal (1)

The CDBC received one nomination for Fraser and one for Vancouver Coastal. These nominees are therefore elected by acclamation and will begin their new 2-year term on April 1, 2019. Congratulations to Tina Hartnell (Fraser) and Jiak Chin Koh (Vancouver Coastal) and thank you for your commitment to the CDBC!

No nominations were submitted for the Interior/North region. In accordance with the bylaws, the Board will appoint a new director to fill this vacancy, at the upcoming March 2019 Board meeting. If you are interested in filling this vacancy, and are part of the Interior/North electoral region, please contact the College at info@collegeofdietitiansbc.org .
Announcement:
CDBC Fee Adjustment for 2019-2020 Renewal

Each year, the CDBC Board of Directors reviews the need to change the College fees according to the CDBC’s financial capacity and to meet its mandate under the Health Professions Act
This year, the Board and the Ministry of Health have approved a modest, 1.4 percent (1.4%) increase to CDBC fees for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The Board and the Ministry of Health must approve fee increases each time they are proposed. The purpose of this change is to address current operational needs at the College and upcoming changes in revenue.

Directors considered the College’s current financial situation and various strategies to meet the goals of the College, as well as maintaining contingency for inquiry and discipline matters. The Board is sensitive to increasing costs of living for all BC registrants and decided that small rate increases are preferable to a large fee change. This 1.4% increase is roughly half of the 2018 BC Consumer Price Index information on inflation (i.e. 2.7%).

The Board of Directors will continue to review the need to apply a cost of living increase annually. This practice is consistent with other Colleges in BC and across Canada.

The fee increase will be in effect on April 1, 2019 and applies to the 2019-2020 fiscal year. You will see a small increase (e.g., $8 for annual registration) during the registration renewal period. Please contact the CDBC if you have any questions about the increase in fees.


Congratulations to New Full Registrants!

Congratulations to the 41 new Full Registrants who passed the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination (CDRE) held from November 26 th to December 6 th , 2018 . The CDRE is the national competence examination for Dietitians in Canada. It is developed and administered by the Alliance of Canadian Dietetic Regulatory Bodies . The CDRE is required by every Canadian province, except Quebec, for full registration privileges.

The College is very pleased to welcome successful CDRE candidates to the profession as “Full” registrants. Your registration status has been updated from “Temporary” to “Full” registration on the Public Register of Dietitians .

There are now 1372 Registered Dietitians practicing in BC – 1343 Full Registrants, 3 Temporary Registrants and 26 Non-Practicing Registrants – and the numbers keep growing!
Are you in the 2019 Continuing Competence Program (CCP) Group?
This is a reminder to full registrants in the 2019 CCP Group who have not yet submitted their Professional Development Plans. If you missed the October 31, 2018 deadline, please login to your online CCP to complete your 2019 Professional Development Plan as soon as possible. Remember, you must successfully complete the CCP requirement in order to renew your registration by March 31, 2019 and avoid the $300 non-compliance late fee .

Registrants in the 2019 CCP group who wish to be removed in good standing must also complete the CCP requirement by March 31, 2019.
Reminder:
Using Approved Courses for Proof of Competence to Practice Restricted Activities

Restricted Activities (RAs) licenses expire annually on March 31. All registrants who plan on continuing to practice RAs on April 1, 2019, must renew licenses by providing proof of competence to practice any RA and pay the corresponding licensing fee.


Proof of competence is determined by the Registration Committee and approved by the CDBC Board of Directors. Acceptable forms of proof of competence are listed on Form #10 – Application to Practice Restricted Activities and include specific courses. These approved courses are considered valid for a fixed period of time after the course is completed successfully (see table below).

If you wish to use approved courses as proof of competence to practice RAs, you must ensure that the validity of your completed courses do not expire while your RA licences are active.

Section 5 of policy Rc-13 – Restricted Activities states that “Approved courses used as proof of competence must be valid over the entire time period that the Restricted Activity license is active (i.e. April 1 to March 31 annually).
a)     Approved courses that expire on or before the first six months of the issued RA license are not accepted as proof of competence.
b)     Registrants with approved courses that expire after six months of the issued RA license must submit additional proof of competence to the CDBC, prior to the course expiry date.”

Please contact the CDBC if you have questions about policy Rc-13 , or using approved courses as proof of competence to practice RAs.

CDBC Staff Update

Deputy Registrars, Mélanie Journoud and Charissa (Chi) Cejalvo have been appointed by the Board to perform duties and exercise all powers of the Registrar during her leave in 2019. Chi and Mélanie, will be assuming the Registrar responsibilities while acting in their roles, for approximately 10 months, starting February 15, 2018. Both Mélanie and Chi have been with the College for many years and are very experienced with all College key functions and processes. Chi and Mélanie will split the different roles and responsibilities according to their job titles/positions.

The CDBC is pleased to welcome dietitians Jie (Gia) Zheng and Elaine van Oosten as temporary, part-time positions Elaine and Gia will be fulfilling roles and responsibilities to support the Deputy Registrars over the next 10 months, particularly with Registration and Quality Assurance activities.

The College is also pleased to confirm Elana Siu , Executive Assistant and Registration Coordinator, is now a permanent member of the CDBC team. Congratulations Elana!

Finally, the CDBC Board and Staff extend their very best wishes to Joanie Bouchard , Registrar, as she embarks on her maternity leave. May you find wonder and joy in your expanding family, Joanie!

Website Updates

Last year, as part of the Strategic Plan, the Board approved a goal and strategy supporting the redesign and revamp of the CDBC website. Last fall, the College reached out to all registrants to seek input on the website’s weaknesses and strengths. Thank you to the 135 dietitians who completed the survey. The College is now circulating a Request for Proposals to start the work in March 2019.

CDBC Website updates include:   January 2019 Quality Assurance Newsletter

You Asked About… Consent to Nutrition Care

Question:   When do I need to obtain consent during nutrition care?

Answer:   Consent is a voluntary decision where a client agrees to a course of nutrition care* after being provided understandable information. This information must be shared in an honest, transparent way, using plain language (an interpreter may be required in the event of a language barrier), and should include: the nature of the treatment, its risks and benefits, and any comparable alternative treatment choices. A Dietitian is accountable for ensuring consent remains valid throughout ongoing delivery of care under his/her direct responsibility.
*Nutrition care includes assessment, treatment, intervention, monitoring and evaluation.
Consent may be given by the client if they are capable adults or minors, or by a substitute decision maker, if the client is incapable.

When is consent required?
It is the legal and professional responsibility of the Dietitian to obtain consent to nutrition care and for collecting, using, and disclosing any confidential client information.

When is consent not required?
Consent is not required during a preliminary examination or nutrition diagnosis, unless the Dietitian is required to touch the client (e.g., skinfold measurement or subjective global assessment). Consent is not required for urgent health care, when a client is unconscious or semi-conscious, or for unforeseen, medically necessary conditions, where consent had been previously given.

When is consent not valid?
Consent may be removed at any time during a course of treatment. It is also not valid when there is a change in a client's medical condition deeming the original consent to care inappropriate. For minor health care treatment, consent is not valid for more than 12 months after consent was first obtained.

Do I have to get consent each time I see a client or change a therapeutic diet?
Consent continues until it is removed, or when there is a change in the course of treatment (less than 12-month duration). Therefore, once Dietitians have obtained consent to see clients, they do not need to get it every time, unless consent is withdrawn.

A change in the nutrition care plan requires obtaining renewed consent. Formal process and documentation may not need to occur for each small change, but Dietitians are expected to provide and record continuous information on their care and opportunities for questions and discussion with the client or substitute decision maker. Clients need to have a chance to raise their concerns and preferences to make informed decisions. This supports client-centered care where clients are engaged and empowered to make decisions about their health. Although consent can be verbal or implied by gestures, Dietitians are encouraged to document consent/withdrawal of consent in the client’s health record in accordance with the CDBC’s Record Keeping Standards . This protects the Dietitian in case of misunderstandings and ensures good communication and continuity of care with the interprofessional team. Employers may also have additional requirements for consent documentation that Dietitians must follow.
If you have questions on consent, please contact the CDBC at info@collegeofdietitians.org .

References and resources:
Please contact the College staff if you have questions or comments about these opportunities.
Call 604.736.2016 or toll-free in BC to 1.877.736.2016, or email us at info@collegeofdietitiansbc.org
We look forward to hearing from you!